Comfortable Silence
by slythadri
Summary: EWE, OOC. Rated mature for language and possible sexual content in future chapters. Dramione with a side of Hansy. Draco Malfoy is back to complete his 8th year and so is Hermione Granger. They both want to be civilized. They both find the other one unexpectedly pleasant. What happens when you grow up and leave prejudice behind?
1. Silence, chapter one

Timeline: the 8th year at Hogwarts.

Only a handful of older students came back to complete their last year of education at Hogwarts after the war. No one was surprised when Hermione Granger boarded the Hogwarts Express, on her own, on September 1st. However, many heads turned to watch Draco Malfoy, walking alone, his trunk levitated behind him. The rumor mill had all the details already. Malfoy had been ordered one-year probation to be fulfilled by going back to Hogwarts and staying there all year. He would be allowed out on Hogsmeade weekends but he would not be sent home on holidays, as his father was in Azkaban and his mother was under house arrest and it would be considered collusion for the two of them to spend time together during the year of their sentences.

Also, in a move that raised many eyebrows, Headmistress McGonagall had sent Malfoy a head boy badge. In the owl mail that contained the badge, she had sent a note explaining that such decision was both a way to show faith in him and also a mechanism to fulfill the ministry requisite of keeping a close eye on him. The new head boy took the information stoically and decided to perform his duties flawlessly while keeping to himself as much as possible. The only caveat was that the note also announced that Hermione Granger will be the head girl. That was a hard pill to swallow. He was ashamed to the core of the fact that Hogwarts classmates had been held prisoner in his house, but Granger had also been tortured by his insane aunt. The best he could hope for was that Granger would not be hateful all year long, but if that was the case, he would keep his head low and simply keep doing his duties.

When he got on the train he went straight to the front, to the heads compartment. She was already there. She sat a bit more straight when he walked in, then in a move that mimicked his own rehearsed plan she stood up an offered her hand.

"Malfoy. I hope we can work together this year." He didn't hesitate. He took the offered hand and shook it. "Thank you, Granger. You beat me to the punch, as always," he said with a smirk, "I was supposed to be the one asking for your good will."

She chuckled a bit "well, I like to be one step ahead, always."

He nodded "I assume then you have a plan for the prefects' team already?"

She blushed. As soon as she got her owl with the badge she got on it. She pulled out a small pile of parchments from her trunk and started sharing with him. He had some ideas of his own but had planned to let her lead as a show of respect; still, she seemed glad to hear his input. She was not used to working with someone who could keep up so well. After they finalized the details he left the compartment so she could change into her school robes. He changed in the bathroom, then both of them walked into the prefects' compartment, and proceeded to give instructions and organize teams before anyone could get awkward. With an air of finality, they both walked out and back to the heads compartment. They both smiled shyly. "That went well, thank you, Granger." She nodded. "No problem. Let's try and keep up this teamwork thing. I think we all need to move on." He nodded in approval and they both sat comfortably and pulled out books to read for the rest of the journey. The silence was comfortable. They stole glances at each other now and then until Draco said "I'm not going to hex you, Granger. You have the Ministry's guarantee of that."

She chuckled "actually, I was thinking this is the first time in seven years that I feel confident that you don't want to hex me. It's... an unusual feeling, but is nice."

He smirked

"No hexes coming your way, I assure you. And I would appreciate it if the sentiment is mutual."

She smiled

"It is. No hexes coming from here, you have my word."

He smiled. It was the first time that she ever saw him smile. It was a beautiful smile. She shook herself off it when she felt a blush growing on her face. At that moment mercifully the trolley witch came by and he stood to get a bunch of sweets.

"What would you like, Granger?"

She looked shocked for a second but answered quickly

"A, a cauldron cake please, thank you."

He nodded and turned to the trolley witch to take the sweets and pay. The old lady looked at Hermione and then at him and gave him a knowing eyebrow wiggle. The corner of his mouth lift a bit but he mostly kept a straight face.

They ate their snacks and kept reading, feeling strangely comfortable. For once in her life, Hermione Granger decided to let things be. Malfoy was right, if he did the slightest unpleasant thing to her, he could end up in Azkaban. That was enough guarantee for her. Also, after a few more moments she admitted to herself that her nervousness at the moment was not about Draco Malfoy being a Slytherin or a Death Eater or even being rude. Obviously, that was all in the past. She was nervous because when Draco Malfoy behaved properly he was an intelligent, well mannered, insanely handsome young man. And that was making her very nervous.

Unbeknownst to her, Malfoy was thinking that when he stopped thinking of Granger as a lowly mudblood, he had to admit that she was a brilliant, prim, gorgeous young woman. Karma was indeed a bitch.

When they got to the castle they performed their duties guiding the young ones to their common rooms and then were called by the Headmistress. She explained that the head boy and head girl would have their own quarters, where they would have their own rooms but share a common room and a bathroom. They both felt blush rushing to their faces but nodded then followed the older witch to their assigned tower. It was like a quaint, nice flat of their own. The furniture was nice leather and the banners of Slytherin and Gryffindor houses hang side by side on one wall of the common room. They both went into their rooms to get settled and chuckled when they bump into each other coming out of their rooms, each one a book in hand, hoping to read a bit in the nice common room before bed. They walked towards the couch, which was quite roomy, and Malfoy said

"Pick a side, Granger".

She smiled and made herself comfortable on one side of the couch, her back leaned on the armrest, her knees bent. Draco sat with his long legs stretched and said in a mirthful tone

"I take on a lot of space, Granger, so if you need just push me or use me as a footstool."

She laughed, shook her head and went back to her book, but her mind kept racing. This was not at all the boy she expected to share duties with. This Malfoy was... cute. She took a deep breath and tried to keep reading.

He pretended to read his book, but his heart was hammering in his chest. This was not Slytherin behavior at all. But it felt good, it felt liberating. After his trial, when he wrapped his head around the facts that he was alive and unharmed and was not going to Azkaban he decided to live his life any way he wanted. He will do as his heart desired, and this moment felt just so right. He was sharing a sweet moment of silence with a beautiful, kind witch. Who could ask for more?

After a half hour, she stood up and said

"I'm off to bed. Good night, Draco." She said his given name on purpose and looked to gauge his reaction. He swallowed visibly.

"Good night, Hermione."

She smiled and walked towards her room. He watched her go. Had she always had that nice arse? Oh Merlin, this day definitely went very different than expected.

She walked into her room, closed the door and took a deep breath. Sweet Circe. Draco Malfoy was fucking cute. This day had been very, very weird.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day the head boy and head girl greeted each other in their common room and walked together to the great hall for breakfast, all the way talking about their new duties and the strategies to approach them. Both of them were happy to have full schedules to keep them busy. They were looking relaxed with each other and smiling, so when they walked into the hall many faces turned to look at them, astonished. They were caught off base by the disconcerted looks but didn't have time to dwell on it. Professor Flitwick, now deputy headmaster interrupted them with an urgent request.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Malfoy, good morning. I need to ask you a big favor. We have a situation with two of our professors. Professor Slughorn and Madam Hooch are indisposed and won't be able to start their term duties for a month. We have been able to redistribute their time among other classes for most years, but we think the first years shouldn't be rearranged so drastically. Is better if they keep their schedules set so their introduction to magical education doesn't get affected."

The two heads nodded, waiting for the rest of the news.

"So I have decided to assign the two of you as teaching assistants in charge of the first years."

Draco and Hermione opened their eyes like saucers.

Flitwick continued, unconcerned.

"You two are brilliant students, and you are of age. For the potions class, the first month is mostly theory and learning about ingredients preservation and storage and the correct use of a cauldron and how to set the fire. You are both more than qualified for that. And as for the flying lessons, well, that shouldn't be a problem, right? After all, Mr. Malfoy here is an outstanding Quidditch player."

Hermione blink and could only respond

"I'm a pretty bad flyer sir. Malfoy would have to take care of that" she said looking at the blonde with pleading eyes. He gave her a smile and throw her a bone

"Well Granger, I would feel better if I know that you are on the ground ready to halt anyone that falls off their broom. And as for potions, I'm sure we can more than handle the task. We would probably focus on keeping the young ones safe and make sure they don't blow up their cauldron or put rat's tails in their mouths."

Hermione laughed at that and Flitwick chuckled and patted his arm.

"I knew I could count on you. Now, have some breakfast and see me after so I can give you your rearranged schedules so you know where your teaching duties fit."

They both nodded and Draco gestured for Hermione to sit with him on a corner of the Slytherin table to discuss this new development.

He poured himself some tea and looked to offer some to Hermione, and saw that she was fidgeting and looking flustered. He put down the teapot and reached to cover her hand with his.

"Hermione, look at me."

She lifted her head. He smiled and continued

"It's going to be alright. We got this. We are more than capable to handle this. It would be a great experience. Now take a breath and have some food."

She smiled and pushed her cup towards him so he could pour the tea. Then put some food on her plate and started eating, her mind racing so fast she couldn't help the way her facial expressions revealed that she was talking to herself. He smiled. That was adorable, such a Granger thing to do. Then he looked towards the table and saw that almost all faces were staring at them. He lifted a challenging eyebrow and the onlookers all turned their faces away.

Hermione didn't notice that exchange. Her mind was going a thousand miles an hour. She was, of course, flustered at the new responsibilities that were just thrown on them out of the blue. But she was also feeling very unsettled about her Malfoy situation. She was not too surprised by his polite attitude, after all, she saw the fear in his face when she was taken to Malfoy Manor by the snatchers. Having the biggest psychopath in wizarding history living at your house and using it as a torture chamber must have been an awful experience. Then she saw him at his trial, where Harry and she spoke on his behalf, and when he was leaving the courtroom he had turned to them and mouthed "thank you" with tears in his eyes. So a polite, respectful Malfoy was a pleasant situation but not a huge surprise. The big surprise was this sweet, supportive Malfoy. The one that instead of waiting for her to come up with solutions or plans was ready to hold her hand and help her find her way. The one that wanted to help to make her life easier.

She somehow managed to multitask enough to run five trains of thought in her head and still chew her breakfast, and when she was done Draco signaled for her to walk with him to find Flitwick and get their new schedules.

Their schedules were indeed packed, but Hermione felt giddy about it. Since they had enough prefects to help them unload those duties, they went to their first class of the year. After that, they would have the first flying lesson with the first years. Draco seemed unfazed by it, so she decided to just follow his lead.

They collected the training brooms and met the first year class outside. After instructing the children to stand next to a broom Draco walked confidently between them.

"Good morning. My name is Draco Malfoy, and this is Hermione Granger. We are the head boy and head girl and during your first month, we would also act as teaching assistants for your flying lessons and potions class. You can refer to us as Mr. Malfoy and Miss Granger. Both of those classes imply some risks, so please make sure you ask questions if you are in doubt or need help with the instructions given."

He kept going and Hermione followed him with her gaze, mesmerized. He irradiated authority. This was probably a reflection of what his upbringing was supposed to give him. Without Lucius' unpleasant influence, Draco was confident and firm, but not nasty. His attitude made her remember that she had teaching experience of her own, as an instructor for the DA. She stood taller and felt self-assured. By now Draco was saying

"Is time to mount your brooms. You will kick on the ground hard, hover for a minute and then tilt the broom slightly down to come back to the ground. Just follow the instructions step by step and you will be fine. Miss Granger will be keeping a close eye on you, so don't be afraid of falling. She will make sure you are safe."

When some of the children still looked scared, Draco mounted his broom and told Hermione

"Miss Granger, care to demonstrate how good you are at keeping people safe?"

He hovered about five meters off the ground and suddenly let himself fall. The children gasped but a half-second later he was slowly coming down. Hermione had cast a silent _arresto momentum._ The kids clapped enthusiastically and then mounted their brooms. Hermione cast a wide cushioning charm underneath all of them just in case, but it turned out to be unnecessary. The lesson went on without incident. When they dismissed the class and the giddy children walked away talking excitedly about the flying lesson Draco picked up their school bags and offered Hermione his arm.

"Miss Granger, may I escort you to your next class?"

She smiled and took the arm offered.

"Must certainly, Mr. Malfoy."


	3. Chapter 3

The head boy and head girl walked into the charms classroom. Professor Flitwick smiled when he saw them come in talking to each other enthusiastically, Hermione still holding onto his arm and Draco levitating their bags behind them. They approached the teacher and gave a happy report of their first class as teaching assistants. Flitwick gave one enthusiastic clap of his hands, congratulated them and gestured for them to find seats. They sat on the empty desk in the front row. They didn't have time to look back at the stir that their entrance had caused.

Ginny Weasley was sitting with Neville Longbottom, and she was making big hand gestures while pointing at them and mouthing "what the fuck?" Neville chuckled and shrugged. Class started and there was no more time for gossip.

At the end of the class, Draco and Hermione walked out together but Draco noticed a sudden move at his side and realized that he was walking alone while he heard Hermione's voice say loudly

"Ouch! What the f…" she cut herself off but turned to look at Ginny, who had pulled her back by the hair.

Draco turned on his heel, frowned and said

"Miss Weasley, should I take points from Gryffindor for assaulting the head girl?"

Ginny glared at him and answered

"No, Mr. Big Head Boy, I just want a word with my friend here."

Behind her, Neville gave Malfoy an amused and apologetic shrug. Draco crossed his arms and waited. Hermione said

"Ginny I don't have time right now. We are teaching the first years their first potions class. I'll talk to you at lunch, ok? No need for manhandling."

Ginny huffed but let her go, following her and Draco with her gaze. She turned to Neville and pointing to the parting pair said

"At this pace, they will be engaged by lunchtime! Someone better give me an explanation, since when is it ok to be all lovy dovy with the ferret?"

Neville laughed, offering his arm to the flustered redhead.

"Calm down Ginny. After all, Hermione is part of the reason he is not in Azkaban. The least he can do is carry her books. Heck, he should walk in front of her throwing rose petals for her to walk on."

Ginny laughed at that and took the offered arm. The truth was, she and Hermione found themselves dumped by their boyfriends at the end of the summer, when Harry and Ron decided to join Auror training and they both mumbled stuff about the difficulties of long distance and 'is not you is me' bullshit. So Ginny had assumed that they would be the new hot single girls at school together and somehow their bachelorette lives would be perfectly coordinated. Her plans didn't include an apparently reformed ferret, being all chivalrous to her friend and looking all… hot? Because apparently Malfoy had lost his bottle of hair gel and now was wearing his hair more natural, framing his face in a way that emphasized his handsome, aristocratic features. Holy shite. The ferret was a hot guy. And Hermione liked him.

She thought about all of this while unconsciously running her free hand over Neville's muscular arm. She looked up at him and it hit her. Good old Neville was not a little shy and chubby boy anymore. He was now tall, dark and handsome, all confident and suave. Oh, Merlin. Maybe the bachelorettes won't stay single for long.

Meanwhile, the teaching assistants got to the dungeons for their first potions class. The kids were waiting expectantly. The two young, attractive instructors were a novelty and the first years could not get enough of them. This time Hermione lead the class. She gave a general introduction to potion making and safety measures. Several vials of potions samples had been left for them on the desk, so Hermione took each vial and explain what the content was and they both shared anecdotes of being under the effect of different potions. The last vial was a pink potion and she smiled when she picked it up.

"Does anyone know what this is?"

A brunette girl with her hair in a ponytail bounced up and down lifting her hand enthusiastically. Hermione called on her.

"That's Amortentia. The most powerful love potion in the world. They say it even smells like love."

Hermione chuckled

"Yes, this is Amortentia, and it is a powerful love potion. But it doesn't exactly smell like love. It smells different to each person, depending on what are their favorite things in the world, and usually one of those smells is a reminder of the beloved." She couldn't help a light blush on her face. Draco was leaning on a desk, looking nonchalant. He smirked and added

"Perhaps Miss Granger would like to open the vial and let us know what she smells."

She wanted to glare at him but kept her composure and smiled. She opened the vial and all the girls in the class leaned forward expectantly, while the boys kept their eyes low, feeling weird. Hermione took a whiff and said

"New parchment, freshly mowed grass and… cauldron cakes."

The girls yipped and giggled. The boys kept looking down. Draco gave her a smirk and an eyebrow lift. She shook her head and continued her speech, hoping that her face didn't look all flustered.

When they dismissed the class the kids walked out in small groups, all chatty and excited. When they got to the Great Hall for lunch, there seem to be a group of excitable first-year girls on each house table, looking at them and pointing, not being very good at discretion.

"Mr. Malfoy is so dreamy, like, who has eyes like silver? Do you think Miss Granger is his girlfriend?"

"That would be so romantic!" squealed a girl on the Hufflepuff table, batting her eyelashes very fast while staring at Draco and Hermione, who had walked to sit at the Gryffindor table, unaware of their new fan club.

When they sat, Ginny looked at Draco and said sarcastically

"Mr. Big Head Boy, how good of you to join us."

Hermione swatted her arm while Neville rolled his eyes. Draco started filling his plate, impassive.

"I'm here for the head girl's protection. There seemed to be a few wild creatures loose on the castle, pulling hair and biting."

Ginny glared at him but then smirked

"So, Malfoy, what are your intentions with my girl here?"

Hermione kicked her under the table. Ginny didn't flinch but kept her eye on Draco. He started to slowly butter a dinner roll before answering.

"If you must know, Weasley, I find Miss Granger here delightful to work with. As for any intentions beyond that, well, that is not of your business. Or at least it won't be until Hermione here decides to share with you whatever happens from this point on."

Hermione blushed, Neville was suddenly very interested in his food and Ginny's face opened in a huge Cheshire grin. Before she could retort Hermione said

"We have been assigned shared quarters and also extraordinary duties to cover at least partially for professor Slughorn and Madam Hooch. Add to that head duty and regular classes, we pretty much spend the whole day together, so we behave like civilized humans."

Draco smirked and looked at Hermione in approval. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she said and pointed her fork at Malfoy "you better behave Malfoy, and treat her well all the time."

Draco continued eating using his impeccable pureblood manners before answering.

"I assure you, Weasley, I won't be going around pulling her hair."

Ginny rolled her eyes but then looked around when she felt a lot of gazes directed to where they were sitting. She perked up to listen to the first year Gryffindor girls that were all giggling while staring at the group of older students.

"If they make babies they would be so cute! Can you imagine, babies with curly platinum blonde hair? They would be the cutest!"

All the girls squealed at that. Ginny looked back between Draco and Hermione, who were back to discuss plans for the next lesson that they would have with their pupils. Maybe Hogwarts really was starting a whole new era.


	4. Chapter 4

That evening the head boy and head girl walked back into their common room, exhausted but satisfied. They had survived their first day as both heads and teaching assistants. Hermione let herself fall on the couch. Draco followed her example and said

"I wonder if this heads' quarters come with assigned house elves. I could use some herbal tea."

Hermione didn't have time to roll her eyes. With a pop a female house-elf was standing on the coffee table, bowing.

"Good evening, mister and missus heads. Winky is at your service."

Hermione's eyes opened wide. This was the house elf that used to work for the Crouch family. The last time she saw her the little thing was drunkenly crying, drowning her sorrows in butterbeer. Draco was smiling widely.

"Good evening Winky. I am Draco Malfoy and this is…"

The elf interrupted

"Missus Granger." Then she pointed a bony finger to Hermione's face

"Missus Granger would not give Winky clothes. Winky is a Hogwarts house elf now, tis' hers family now. Winky needs her family."

Hermione blushed and answered quickly

"Don't worry, Winky, I don't try to give house elves clothes anymore. I'll be happy to be your family if you want."

Winky smiled brightly

"Winky is honored to serve the heads' as if they are Winky's family."

Then the elf looked between Hermione and Draco and held her hands together, then rested them against her cheek, batting her eyelashes.

"Young master Malfoy and missus Granger make a lovely couple. If yous gets marrieds Winky would have been your first family elf."

Hermione blushed crimson, but Draco was unfazed

"Thank you, Winky. That is a lovely sentiment. Now would you mind getting us some herbal tea and a couple of cauldron cakes?" he said, winking at Hermione, who got even redder.

When the elf popped out Draco said

"House elves are notorious gossips and very active matchmakers. Don't be surprised if she starts doing things to promote the mood," he said making air quotes.

At that moment a tray of tea and cauldron cakes appeared on the coffee table. The plate with the cauldron cakes was outlined with rose petals in the shape of a heart. Draco chuckled and moved to pour the tea while saying

"Told Ya"

Each week the two heads were running on a very busy schedule. They were happy about it though, it felt great to have so much school duty and no crazy war looming on the horizon. They got to be young and, school work aside, feeling carefree again. Draco didn't have many friends left in Slytherin house. Goyle dropped out and was under house arrest, Zabini, Nott and Pansy Parkinson had left for America, to finish up at Ilvermorny. So he was spending a lot of time in the Gryffindor table. Even if Hermione was not there he would simply sit with Ginny and Neville. With Ginny, he had entered in a good-hearted smartass competition, and with Neville, he had found an unexpected friendship, as the Gryffindor's interest in advanced Herbology was very in tune with the Slytherin's interest in potion making. Draco was planning on having his own large-scale potions company, and he was testing the waters to get a feeling from Neville as a possible business associate, although he was not letting his intentions be known yet. Still, he found himself spending weekend afternoons with Neville helping him reset the greenhouses that had been damaged by the war. One of those afternoons they were preparing soil when Draco asked

"So. You and Ginny. Is it already happening or what?"

Neville blushed. It was the first time that this kind of conversation involved him directly. Yet, he felt strangely proud that Draco Malfoy, rumored Slytherin sex god, was asking him about girls.

"Not yet. I'm not very good at… making my intentions clear. And since when you call her Ginny?" he asked amused.

"I only call her that behind her back," Draco smirked. "Well you better get with the program, Neville, otherwise she's going to be too busy snogging someone else."

Neville turned to face him

"Well, you are the rumored sex god. Tell me what the hell to do."

It was Draco's turn to blush.

"If I was a sex god I would have Granger eating from my palm," he said and then lifted his hand palm side up "do you see her eating here? Because I don't."

Neville laughed at his antics and then asked

"Well, how did you get Parkinson to eat from your palm?"

Draco snorted

"I didn't get Pansy to eat from my hand. She grabbed it forcefully and never let go. Slytherin girls are like that. They pretty much choose their intended husbands as soon as the sorting hat puts them in the dungeons."

Neville laughed loudly at that.

"Well, I guess that makes two of us that need to do something soon, otherwise we are going to end up a couple of old creepy wizards sitting on a bench in Diagon Alley watching young witches walk by."

Draco snorted

"All right, that is not what I want for my future. So, you give me advice and I give you advice. Go!"

Neville thought for a minute.

"Hermione needs to be told upfront, so no Slytherin around," he said making air quotes, "you have to tell her to her face that you like her and want to court her. But she will probably freak out and need time to think, so don't give her any kind of ultimatums. Tell her and then give her time if she needs it."

Draco nodded, then it was his turn to think.

"Ginny has too many brothers, so talking to her the way I do puts me in the brother zone. I think you could also be direct to her or if you are not up for it, I have an idea: bring her flowers. You are a pureblood, you know all about flower arrangements and their meanings, right?"

Neville nodded, and Draco continued

"She may know too, but just in case bring them when I can see them, so I can throw casual comments about the meaning."

They spent the rest of their time in the greenhouse plotting while preparing flower beds.

The next day at dinner the two girls and Draco were sitting at the Gryffindor table when Neville arrived, bringing a bouquet of red camellias and put it in front of Ginny. Hermione squealed and then covered her mouth, embarrassed. Draco held back a snort and looked at the flowers. He waited to gauge Ginny's reaction. The younger witch blushed but looked confused.

"These are lovely, Neville. What kind of flowers are they?"

Draco mentally rolled his eyes but waited for Neville to answer. The Gryffindor boy was a bit shaken that Ginny didn't even recognize the type of flowers.

"They are camellias" he answered simply. Draco decided to save the day. He looked at Neville, nodding in approval

"Proof of passion. Very nice, Neville."

Neville looked grateful for the clarification, and Hermione nodded a bit too enthusiastically. The whole table was staring at them. Draco had to make an effort to not shoo them away. This was so not the Slytherin table. So he caught Neville's eye, nodded slightly towards Ginny and then towards the exit of the hall. Neville got the message.

"Ginny, do you want to go for a walk?"

She stood up like a coiled spring and Neville rushed to hold her hand and walk her out of there.

Hermione sigh.

"That was so cute! I'm so happy for them."

Draco nodded and smiled.

"Yeah, me too" he said and give her hand a squeeze. She looked a bit surprised and he panicked. Oh Merlin. He may be sitting in the Gryffindor table but he was still a snake. He gave her a sweet smile and they both looked flustered and went back to their food. Draco breathed heavily. If he didn't get his bearings soon someone may beat him to the punch. But his biggest fear right now was to make a fool of himself in front of his adored witch. Get your shite together, Malfoy, before someone steals her away.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Lemons down below, you have been warned!

Draco walked into the potions dungeon for the last class they will have with the first years. Hermione needed to use the restroom so he entered alone. When he got to the desk he saw a cauldron cake with a note on it. It said, "To Miss Granger with Love."

Draco had to make a huge effort to keep a straight face. Anger and jealousy burst inside of him and for a second his brain was a wreck. Then he took a deep breath and remembered that whoever left this cauldron cake had to be eleven years old. Then he had a thought and brought the cake to his nose. He took a whiff. It smelled like books, Darjeeling tea, and Hermione Granger's perfume. He lifted his eyes to look at the class. This time the anger in his face was obvious. The children all looked terrified. He scanned the room and saw a blonde Slytherin boy that looked a lot like he did at that age, all hair gel and cufflinks on his uniform shirt. The boy was red as a tomato and avoided his gaze. Draco made a beeline for him. When he was next to the boy, who still tried to focus on his desk, Draco took a knee and spoke softly so the boy would be the only one that could hear him.

"It is illegal for underage wizards to carry around love potions. And it is definitely illegal to try to spice the food of a teacher with an illegally obtained potion. Fifty points from Slytherin and be grateful that this will stay between us."

The boy nodded, holding back tears. Draco stood up and felt a bit of guilt about how strongly he had reacted to the antics of an eleven-year-old boy. He looked around at the group and smiled when he made eye contact with a terrified-looking brunette girl in a Gryffindor uniform. He turned back to the boy and leaned down to speak in his ear again.

"If you want to do things right, learn what girls like Miss Granger look like at your age. See miss Marin there? That is exactly what Hermione Granger was at eleven years old."

The boy looked at him like he was a guru. He looked at the girl, who was now blushing. Then he looked back at Draco

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy."

Draco nodded, put the cauldron cake in his robe pocket and walked to the front of the room. By now Hermione was walking in.

"What did I miss?" she said with a smile.

"Nothing really," he answered, giving her a wink.

At lunchtime Hermione was again late, so Draco walked straight to the Gryffindor table, where Ginny and Neville were all chuckles and Eskimo kisses. He splatted the cauldron cake on the table, startling them.

"I got competition. Freaking first year tried to slip Hermione a love potion in a fucking cake."

The other two burst out laughing. Draco crossed his arms and pouted. Neville finally caught his breath and said

"Well, you either score or you watch someone else score. You told me that yourself."

Draco leaned over the table and bumped his forehead on it repeatedly. Ginny was about to talk when a wispy silver otter floated in front of Draco, speaking with Hermione's voice.

"I'm not going to have time for lunch. Grab me a sandwich? What did I miss?"

Draco sigh and started to make a sandwich for Hermione. He didn't have time to react when Ginny pulled out her wand, wordlessly conjured her Patronus and recorded a message

"Only that Malfoy is in love with you."

Draco lifted his head, horrified. The horse Patronus ran out of the hall. Neville had covered his mouth with his hand, perplex. Ginny gave Draco a challenging eyebrow.

"What the fuck, Ginny? I was going to find a way to tell her!"

Ginny countered

"When? When you give the toast at her wedding to another guy?"

Draco huffed

"Well, whatever I was going to do it definitely was not going to be a giant talking horse!"

Ginny shrugged, unfazed.

"Well, now you two can deal with it before the sexual tension between you make the castle blow again."

Draco grabbed the sandwich and huffed again. He said

"Screw you, Ginny."

Then he just walked out.

The redhead smiled at her boyfriend

"He called me Ginny. Awe!"

Neville shook his head and chuckled, then he peppered some more kisses on her face.

Draco waited to walk into the charms classroom until the class was about to start. He sat next to Hermione and silently passed her the sandwich. She smiled at him, flushed. They had one more class at the end of the day, so they walked together in silence, avoiding eye contact. After the last class of the day was done, he said to her

"I need to do something so don't wait for me, go to dinner." He gave her a half smile and ran before she could react.

She walked to the great hall slowly, then let herself fall on the seat and gave Ginny a glare. Ginny challenged

"What?"

"Seriously Ginny? A fucking talking horse? I just spent the most excruciating time not talking to Draco while we had a whole afternoon of classes together."

Ginny frowned

"He avoided you?"

Hermione shook her head

"Is not like that. It was just awkward. What if he really doesn't like me? We have to spend all day together and share quarters. Is going to be horrible."

Neville put his hand on hers to stop her

"Hermione, he likes you, a lot. So much you would be surprised. Please, don't withhold on this. Help the poor bloke. He is desperate."

Hermione looked stunned. She finished her meal silently. Her friends let her be.

After dinner, she automatically walked to her quarters. She stopped in front of the portrait that guarded the entrance. For a minute she considered making a run for it. But to what end? She couldn't avoid him too long. They had every class together, they were head boy and head girl and they shared quarters. Better to get whatever this was over with. She gave the portrait the password and walked in. The first thing she saw was Winky, carrying something red and green on her arms, but when she saw Hermione the elf squealed and popped out. Hermione lifted her gaze and her jaw dropped. The common room was full of red roses. There had to be at least two hundred freshly cut red roses in vases all over the place. Draco was standing on the other side of the room, with one more red rose in his hand. His heart was hammering in his chest, threatening to burst out. Hermione's mouth spoke before she could think

"You love me."

He answered

"Yes"

They both stood silently for a full minute. Then she ran and jumped into his arms. Luckily he was close to the wall so they didn't fall over. She kissed him passionately and he responded equally, lifting her by the buttocks so she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her to the bedroom. He let her down gently on the bed and crawled on top of her, all the time kissing. He trailed kisses from her mouth down her jaw, to her neck and when he got to her uniform tie he was going to loosen it up when he took a second to stop himself.

"Hermione, if this is too fast we can wait, I can…"

She pulled off his uniform tie and ripped his oxford shirt open. He looked at her hungrily and paid her in kind. He kissed and bit her neck before trailing down to her chest, cupping her breasts and kissing her nipples over the lace of her bra. She waved her wand and vanished what was left of both their clothes. He panicked for a few seconds when he saw his faded dark mark exposed. She lifted her forearm with the mudblood scar and said

"The crazy bastards that marked us are gone, Draco. We can do whatever we want now. We are free to live and we are free to love."

He looked at her with utter adoration and capture her mouth again in a kiss. She wrapped her arms and legs around him and used her hand to guide him to her entrance. Before he could slow her down she pushed him in. He growled and when he was all in he stilled himself and looked at her.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Then she started a slow rolling movement of her hips, and he let her lead, falling deeper and deeper into this passion haze until her louder moans and the faster rhythm announced her climax. She held tight wrapping him with her arms and legs and he buried his face in the crook of her neck, and when he felt her walls clench around him he let himself spill. They hold onto each other for a while, until he slid to her side and after performing a cleaning charm he pulled her close to cocoon her in his arms. He ran his fingers on her curls and said.

"Guess what. Tomorrow is Saturday. We don't have to leave the bed all day."

She chuckled

"What about food?"

He smiled

"We have an eager, matchmaking crazed house elf that I'm sure will be ecstatic to see that all her hard work with the roses paid off. I'm sure we have guaranteed room service all weekend."


	6. Chapter 6

The next Monday morning when Draco and Hermione walked to the great hall for breakfast he had his arm around her and she had hers around his waist. She was telling him some story and he was looking at her like she was made of gold. The moment they crossed the entrance he was reaching down to kiss her forehead and suddenly there was a storm of squeals and cheers. They were caught off guard and looked around, stunned. The first years were yapping a bunch of unintelligible things; some girls were squealing and putting their hands to their faces or blatantly pointing at them. A couple of first-year Hufflepuffs ran and stood in front of them, bouncing

"You are going to have the cutest babies ever!"

Then they squealed again and ran back to their table.

The couple stood for a few seconds, still in shock. At the staff table, the teachers were exchanging looks and whispers, Flitwick was grinning widely, McGonagall had a side smile and Hagrid had his arms crossed in front of his chest and looked like he was going to read Draco the riot act.

Draco was the first one to catch up. He snorted a laugh and said in Hermione's ear

"I think we just made the cover of Witch Weekly."

She laughed, pushed herself up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. More strange girly sounds filled the hall. They sat at the Gryffindor table and braced for Ginny's comments that were sure to come. They were still eating when Dennis Creevey stood up, pick up his books and walked to stand in front of them. He leaned in what he probably thought was a menacing gesture and pointed a finger to Draco's face.

"You treat her well, Malfoy, or so help me Merlin I…I…" then he huffed and walked away.

Draco looked at his friends with a dumbfounded expression. Ginny shrugged

"Well, I'll say you got off easy." Hermione and Neville laughed and went back to their food.

When they finished and started walking to their first class of the day Draco saw the blonde first year Slytherin boy ran and catch up with the brunette Gryffindor girl. There was a short exchange and then he was carrying her books and chatting animatedly with her. Draco smiled and pulled Hermione closer. Hopefully, that boy wouldn't waste time the way he had done when he was younger.

A few weeks went by and one Sunday evening Draco and Neville walked into the great hall for dinner after spending the afternoon working at the greenhouses. They were chatting distractedly about harvesting and preservation of a few rare plants used for potions when a small female voice called from the Slytherin table.

"Draco?"

They turned towards the voice and Pansy Parkinson was sitting alone on one corner of the Slytherin table. Her eyes looked glassy like she was holding tears. She stood and ran to hug Draco, who was a bit confused.

"Pans, you are back, I didn't know you were coming back!"

She looked at him with a mix of relief and confusion in her eyes, then she looked at Neville.

"Longbottom?"

Neville offered his hand

"Hey Parkinson, welcome back."

She shook his hand, still looking between the two boys, confused. At that moment Ginny and Hermione walked in and each one went to kiss her respective boyfriend. Pansy's face was now blank, stunned. Draco gently pointed at her

"Pansy is back, we just founded her sitting alone on a corner."

Hermione and Ginny turned, were surprised but composed their faces quickly. Hermione reached for the Slytherin girl's arm.

"Well, no sitting alone here. Welcome back, Pansy, come with us. Draco spends most of his time now at the Gryffindor table, his tie is actually starting to turn red and gold on its own."

Pansy let herself be dragged to the Gryffindor table of all places. The first thing she managed to say after sitting there was

"Draco you are not staying in the Slytherin dorms?"

Ginny snorted and made a funny face, using exaggerated hand gestures.

"Oh, no, Mr. and Mrs. Big Heads here have their own quarters, because they are fancy, " she said pointing at the head badges the other two sport, "the school is actually sanctioning cohabitation and fornication."

Hermione swatted her arm, but Pansy laughed at the comment, starting to catch up.

"So you have been ok here Draco? Have people been ok with you? Do they treat you well?"

He nodded

"Well it really helped to have Hermione's support from the beginning, but yes, I have had a great year, from day one."

Comprehension dawned on Hermione about how nervous Pansy Parkinson had to be about coming back. She held the Slytherin girl's hand on hers

"Pansy, I, Hermione Granger, am dating Draco Malfoy. If that doesn't mean things have changed I don't know what does. I assure you, you will be comfortable here. We will make sure of that."

Pansy dabbed the corner of her eyes. Draco squeezed her should reassuringly.

"Thank you, Granger. I really appreciate it."

"Please call me Hermione. And Ginny and Neville" she said pointing at the other two.

Pansy nodded.

"Well, definitely a lot of changes, but it seems to be all for the better."

Draco smiled brightly, nodding.

"Oh, and Neville and I have an announcement."

Ginny lifted an eyebrow

"You two eloping and leaving Hermione and me to rot?"

Draco threw a dinner roll at her, then he said

"We are going into business together after graduation. Neville will start his own greenhouses and I will start a potion business that requires lots of exotic plants. We are going to talk to Slughorn and Sprout and ask them to mentor us one on one for the rest of the year so we can have a business plan by the spring term."

The girls congratulated them excitedly. Then they turned to ask Pansy about her time in America, making her feel welcome.

A couple of weeks later, at the auror training facilities of the Ministry, Harry Potter was reading a letter he got from Hermione Granger, who always kept him updated on what was going on in her life. He had seen Ginny and Neville in Hogsmeade after they started dating, and had reassured them that he was happy for them. it took him a few days to wrap his head around Hermione dating Draco, but after they all had drinks together a couple of times he was very happy to see all the positive changes and give them his blessing. In the latest letter, Hermione told him about Pansy and how they were all making sure she felt comfortable, and how nice she was being to them. Then she suggested they should all have drinks in Hogsmeade the following Friday evening.

That Friday Harry had just apparated by the Three Broomsticks when he saw the group of friends walking towards him. He noticed that a very pretty brunette with a sweet laugh was walking with them. When the group reached him the pretty brunette stopped in her tracks, a look of panic on her face. Harry realized that the pretty girl was Pansy Parkinson. She looked very different though. Her face was soft and her big eyes and turned up nose that used to give her a pug face when she was younger now made her look beautiful. Harry swallowed hard and stood taller. His time with the Aurors had made him assertive and confident, so he walked straight to her and offered his hand. She put hers on top in a very delicate, feminine way, so he pulled it up to his lips and kissed it.

"You are looking beautiful, Pansy Parkinson. I'm glad you joined us."

She was speechless, and could only nod. The person that she was afraid the most in the world to face was not only courteous to her, he was downright… flirty? Her head spun off while the rest of the group exchanged greetings and hugs. She saw that Harry and Draco were now in man hug terms, so maybe she should try to relax a bit. Difficult task though. Harry Potter was looking very...manly. He seemed taller and broad-shouldered, and after they all went into the pub he took off his jacket to reveal a tight t-shirt that framed his muscular arms and chest. When he walked to the bar to get them all drinks she couldn't help staring at his arse that looked perfectly round and firm in muggle jeans. Hermione and Ginny noted and exchanged grins.


	7. Chapter 7

Harry Potter was leaning on the bar at the Three Broomsticks chatting with Madam Rosmerta while she poured the drinks he ordered. She looked at the table were his friends were sitting and asked

"So, the Parkinson girl. Is she your date? She's looking quite cute."

Harry turned to look at the table and saw that Pansy was looking at him but quickly avoided his gaze and blushed. She looked very uncomfortable. He turned back to Madam Rosmerta and asked

"Could I use one of your private booths? I think Miss Parkinson and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Madam Rosmerta gave him a knowing grin and pointed to one of the empty booths. He smiled, thanked her and then walked towards the table levitating the drinks. He set the drinks on the table but still levitated two of them. He offered Pansy his hand.

"Miss Parkinson, would you like to join me for one drink so we can catch up a bit?"

She blushed but took the hand and walked with him. Hermione and Ginny high-fived. Draco lifted an eyebrow.

"I guess Potter's got game now. Who knew."

The others laughed. Meanwhile, Harry took Pansy to the private booth and sat next to her. She decided to talk first

"Potter, I'm sorry. I am so sorry for what I did, for what I said, I…"

He put his hand on hers.

"You panicked. You were terrified. We all thought we were going to die. But is all over now. We are here, we are safe, we can move on. And please, call me Harry."

A tear rolled down her cheek but he caught it with his thumb, then caressed her face with the back of his fingers. She was visibly shaking so he tried to lighten the mood.

"Hermione told me that you are spending a lot of time with her and Ginny. Apparently, you are a beauty guru and are teaching them all kinds of tricks to look good. They are really enjoying the girl time."

She laughed softly at that

"Well, they are very pretty girls. And they are dating very handsome guys, so they better keep it up. They have been so nice to me."

"You are looking stunning, by the way," he said and then he gave her an evil grin "so, what do you pretty girls do when you lock yourselves in the prefect's bathroom?" he said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

She gave a nervous laugh and swatted his arm

"Harry, don't be naughty! We go in there to do beauty treatments and relax, that's it."

Harry sipped his drink, still looking malicious

"Well, I'm not the only naughty boy around. Hermione said in her last letter that Draco and Neville are always asking them the same thing. Come on, three gorgeous girls in that awesome bubble bath? Throw a bloke a bone."

She just laughed and gave him an eye roll. This guy was very sexy. And she was feeling all hot and bothered. They kept talking and ordered another round of drinks. Their friends not only left them alone, they wanted to give them a push, so a bit later Ginny came by the booth already wearing her coat and said very quickly

"The four of us are getting a carriage to the castle. Harry, be a dear and make sure Pansy gets back safe? Have fun!" then she ran before they could answer.

Harry laughed and turned back to Pansy

"Well, I hope being escorted back to the castle by an Auror is good enough for you, Miss Parkinson," he said moving himself a bit closer to her and leaning his arm over the back of her seat. He started tracing circles on her shoulder with his fingers.

"I think that would do, Auror Potter," she said, acting bolder than she actually felt. She couldn't remember a time she felt so excited around a guy. And the feeling of that one finger caressing her shoulder had her feeling on fire.

The other two couples were chatting animatedly during the ride back. Hermione said

"Well, if that catches fire we have to be very supportive. the rumor mill at Hogwarts is easy to contain, but Harry is out in Auror training, so the Prophet is going to be all over it. I can see Rita Skeeter drooling over the potential for nasty pieces. And I'm sure people will try to be nasty to Pansy. not to mention all the Chosen One fans that are going to be dying of jealousy."

They all nodded. They agreed that if Harry and Pansy decided to date they will show themselves in group outings, so people know that they were not alone and that Hermione Granger and even Ginny Weasley, the ex, were supportive of them.

When they got to the castle Ginny and Neville said goodbye and went towards Gryffindor tower. As an eight-year student, Neville had been assigned a room with only two beds, and he had no roommate at the moment, so he and Ginny had their own private space. They were always cautious about locking and silencing the room though, they really didn't need the whole tower to hear how loud Ginny could get.

Hermione and Draco went to their private quarters and they barely passed the portrait before they were in each other's arms. Hermione was very quick to cast a weightless spell because Draco loved carrying her to bed bridal style, and he would always run when he did. Then as soon as they were in the room she would vanish their clothes. He loved that. He loved that she was just as eager as him, that she never seemed to get enough of him. She loved that she felt so free in his arms. He was open to anything she asked, and together they explored and experimented, their mutual adoration fueling their insatiable lust.

Meanwhile, back in a private booth at the Three Broomsticks, Harry Potter and Pansy Parkinson were having a great time. They chatted until it was almost midnight. Harry had not felt so aroused in his life. With the war over and his days now spent in physical training, for the first time in his life, he was feeling like what he was: a young man fueled by testosterone, with a strong need to feel close to a sweet, beautiful witch. And a sweet and gorgeous witch had just fallen in his lap, and he was ecstatic. Pansy, on the other hand, had come back to England because her mother was too sad to have her so far away. She thought it was going to be a long school year of solitude and people talking behind her back. Instead, she was welcomed by an unexpected group of friends and now she was on a date, of all the wizards in the world, with Harry Potter. And he was very, very hot. After her second drink, she had switched to water because if she had one more she may straddle this man and snog him unconscious. They both were holding back to not pounce the other. Neither of them wanted to go their separate ways, but Harry decided to play the gentleman card.

"Well, Miss Parkinson, I will now escort you back, but how about brunch tomorrow? Then maybe we join the others in the afternoon to hang out by the lake?"

She smiled brightly

"That would be lovely, Harry."

They took a carriage to the entrance of the castle, and Harry signaled for the carriage to wait. He walked her to the castle door, stood facing her and leaned down to press a soft kiss on her lips.

"Good night, Pansy. I will pick you up here tomorrow at 10 am."

Then he turned around and walked back towards the carriage, turning to give her one last wave. She stood there, trying to remember how to breathe.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day at 9:50 am a very put together Pansy Parkinson walked into the great hall with a spring in her step. She went to the Gryffindor table but did not sit. Ginny asked

"You are not having breakfast?"

She opened her mouth to answer but Draco took a look at her and said

"Oh Merlin, you got 'Pottered'. Is all over your face. You are meeting him for brunch, aren't you?"

Ginny and Hermione grinned and high fived again. Pansy tried to hide her mortification.

"Well, yes, Harry is picking me up in a few minutes. And if you people behave in a civilized way maybe we can all hang out his afternoon by the lake."

She lifted her nose and tried to walk out in a dignified way but her friends gave her catcalls, howls and Ginny yelled some inappropriate comments that cause the Headmistress to call on her from the staff table.

Pansy was laughing to herself when she approached the main door of the castle. There, standing on the top step and giving her a malicious side grin was Harry Potter. When she approached he reached to place his hands on her waist and brushed a kiss on her mouth. She was stunned for a second, her hands pressed against his chest.

"What is so funny, Miss Parkinson?"

She lifted an eyebrow.

"Your Gryffindork friends, Auror Potter. When I went to tell them I wouldn't be having breakfast with them they sent me off with a chorus of catcalls and howls. So uncivilized. Even Draco behaves like a caveman now" she finished with a smirk.

Harry pulled her closer and in a predatory move dipped his head to her neck and brushed his lips up from there to her ear, making her quiver. He whispered

"What can I say. My house is known for boldness" and then he pressed a soft kiss on her earlobe. Then he took a half step back, took her hand, kissed it and then held it to walk her to the carriage that was waiting for them. She had never felt so vulnerable or aroused.

After breakfast, Draco asked Hermione back to their quarters, telling the others they'll catch up in the afternoon. When they started walking out of the hall Ginny said too loud

"You two are too horny for your own good!"

"Miss Weasley! Ten points from Gryffindor!" yelled the Headmistress from the staff table, though the other teachers were snorting and trying very hard not to laugh out loud. Ginny mouthed "Sorry" and buried her face in her boyfriend's chest to laugh. Neville laughed with her, shaking his head.

When the heads arrived at their private quarters Draco sat Hermione on the couch, took her legs and put them over his lap, then started caressing her calves and knees, occasionally letting his hand slip a bit higher. She was wearing a wool pleated skirt with thigh high socks, so he was very aroused by the idea of pulling off her panties and go down on her, but he needed to tell her something, so he tried to keep a balance between keeping his head straight and getting her relaxed. He took a deep breath and said

"I need to ask you a favor. And it is a bit urgent."

"Oh?" she asked, rubbing his knee with her foot and insinuating that the foot could explore up.

He took a deep breath

I need you to agree to have tea with me… and my mother.

Hermione sat like a rubber band, pulling her feet off him.

"What? When? How? Isn't she still under house arrest?" she felt bad after she mentioned it, but he had caught her by surprise.

He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender

"I am surprised too. Yes, she is still under house arrest, but it seems like one of the things that she did in the last few months when she found herself alone at the Manor was to get in touch with my aunt Andromeda to make amends. It went very well. And, Andromeda, as you probably know is very close to Harry, him being my cousin's godfather."

She nodded and gestured for him to continue

"Well, obviously Potter is also very close to Minister Shacklebolt, so Andromeda used that connection to approach the Minister and ask for a bit of leniency for my mother. What Harry doesn't know, and you will keep this secret, is that the Minister has always had a soft spot for my aunt."

Hermione opened her eyes very wide. Draco continued

"So, Shacklebolt has authorized Andromeda to act as a goodwill witness to accompany my mother on an occasional outing so she can visit with me. She will have a trace on her, and Andromeda must be present, but she was just authorized and she is very anxious to see me. But, of course, being a Pureblood and a Slytherin, she wants to make sure I am being serious in my courting because Merlin forbids what if I don't start making babies soon, " he said rolling his eyes.

"Do you mean you told your mother about me?" she asked incredulously.

He nodded

"Oh yes, from day one. She was all alone at home, and she was terrified of me having a horrible time at school, so my letters made her very happy. I started from the first day on the train, telling her that you were the head girl and how nice you were to me. Then I kept telling her about all the nice things that were happening to me, and well, you were always involved so she put two and two together. She first asked Andromeda, who knew what Harry had told her. Obviously, my aunt loves you and told my mother that she couldn't ask for a better daughter in law."

Hermione was stunned, barely managing to blink. Could Narcissa Malfoy really consider that anything positive could come from her son dating a muggleborn? When she stayed silent Draco said

"Hermione, I promise you, she has changed. She did since the trials. She is infinitely grateful to Harry and to you for saving us both from Azkaban. And she asked me to assure you that she would not judge anything about you, save for your own graces and the way you treat me."

Hermione closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"All right. I trust you, and Andromeda too. When would we see her?"

Draco scratched the back of his head

"Tomorrow afternoon."

Hermione wanted to scream, but then she realized that the poor woman was very limited in her options and was probably dying to see her son. So she nodded. Draco reached to hug her tight, tears in the corners of his eyes.

"Thank you, thank you, my beautiful witch, this is why I love you so much."

He proceeded to pepper kisses all over her face and she relaxed her posture. She ran her fingers through his hair, letting him calm down too. He placed her legs over his lap again and then slid his hands underneath her skirt and pulled down her panties very slowly. She smirked.

"You know how to make me do your bid, don't you, Slytherin Prince?"

He chuckled a low, sexy sound.

"Well, there is nothing like seducing the Gryffindor Princess," he said moving her foot over his head, so now he was kneeling between her legs. "after all, she keeps the keys to heaven between her thighs." He started trailing kisses from her ankle to her calf, her knee until he reached the naked skin above her thigh socks.

She laid down completely and let him approach her center slowly, leaving wet kisses on her inner thighs, until he latched himself to her wet slid, making her moan loudly with pleasure. He took his time savoring her, slow and deliberate, letting her rock her hips and push when she wanted more friction. He kept working his mouth on her while he reached down his trousers with one hand to release his aching cock. He stroked himself following the rhythm of her hips, listening to her moans, and when he felt her come he let her ride her release on his face. When she had her fill she pulled him up to kiss him, tasting herself on his lips and making him ravenous. She grabbed his hardness and position him on her entrance, then encouraged him to pound her hard to get his own release.

When he came back from his high he looked at her, their faces flushed and their lips swollen.

"You are going to be the death of me."


	9. Chapter 9

The afternoon went by in a breeze, a group of friends sharing a great time by the lake. Harry and Pansy had come back from brunch obviously smitten with each other. The other couples teased them but encouraged what was going on. Hermione knew about Harry's lonely nights at Grimmauld place and was very concerned about his solitary tendencies. But today he radiated joy. She had not seen him like this in years. Draco knew about Pansy's tendency to play games with men, not because she enjoyed it but because she had been told that way, same as he had. And the boys in Slytherin had made her worst, always using emotions like bargain chips. What she need it was a straight up Gryffindor, someone that would both be bold with his feelings and cut her crap if she got entangled in some silliness. And Harry Potter had always worn his heart in his sleeve. As a child, Draco had used that to rile him up. As young adults, he had learned to appreciate him for the honest friend that he was. And Pansy could definitely use some of that.

In the evening, the girls went to look for a bathroom and when they were alone Pansy said

"Harry asked me to spend the night with him at the Inn."

The other girls smiled with a hint of naughtiness.

"And what do you want?"

"I want to lock myself in a room with him and throw away the wands so he can't get out."

The other girls laughed and Pansy covered her face, slightly mortified.

"Is way too soon, right?"

The other two shook their heads no.

"Not with Harry, no. He may be impulsive, but he is loyal to the bone. He's not at all a one-night stand guy. Trust us on this."

Pansy smiled and signal for a group hug. Yikes. She was turning into a sappy Gryffindork. And it felt great.

0-0-0-0-0

The next day, Sunday afternoon, Hermione and Draco took a carriage to Hogsmeade. She was feeling very nervous, hoping that meeting with Narcissa Malfoy wouldn't be an awkward experience. She hoped that having Draco and Andromeda there would smooth any rough edges.

When they got to the town they walked towards the Three Broomsticks holding hands, Draco keeping her close to his body and rubbing circles with his thumb on the back of her hand to help her relax. They walked into the pub and Madam Rosmerta pointed to one of the private parlors. They walked in and heard a babbling

"Ni-ni-ni-ni"

Teddy Lupin, who had until then been very comfortably nestled in Narcissa's arms was now wiggling, smiling toothlessly and leaning towards Hermione with stretched arms. She laughed softly and moved quickly towards the baby before he slipped off the arms that were holding him.

"Hello sweetheart, I can't believe you remember me, I haven't seen you in a while," she said pulling the eager baby to her shoulder.

Draco reached for her mother, helping her up and hugging her tight. Narcissa was trying to hold her tears but it was a lost battle. Hermione moved swiftly to kiss Andromeda and give the mother and son a minute to hold each other.

After a minute they took a half step, and Narcissa gave her son a one over.

"You look wonderful, my Dragon. You look happy and healthy. You haven't looked so radiant since you were a little boy." She turned to look at Hermione "and I know who I need to thank for this miracle."

Hermione was frozen for a second and Andromeda took the baby to free her arms. Narcissa approached her with determination and put her hands on the younger witch's face.

"Thank you, Miss Granger, for saving my son. You saved him from going to prison, and now you saved him from a life of misery. I have no way to repay you for all your kindness."

Hermione's eyes tear up and she put her hand on the one cupping her face.

"Trust me, Mrs. Malfoy, it's been my joy to do it. And please, call me Hermione."

"All right, Hermione," she responded and slowly moved her hands to pull the young woman into an embrace. It only lasted a few seconds, because Teddy started yelling very loud

"Ni-ni- ni-ni ni-ni"

The witches laughed and Hermione turned to face her insistent admirer, picking him up again. She turned towards Draco.

"Teddy, this is your cousin Draco. He has been wanting to meet you for a while."

Teddy gave Draco a huge toothless grin and turned his hair platinum blonde and his eyes silver grey. Draco was astonished, but before he could react they heard a choked sob. Narcissa was looking at them, her hand on her mouth, a very clear image of a possible future right in front of her.

0-0-0-0-0-0

Not too far from there, in a quaint and comfortable room at the Hogsmeade Inn, a beautiful brunette witch lay naked on a bed, her hair cascading over the pillow, her dark eyes fixed on the green eyes of the wizard that had just made love to her and was now laid on his side next to her, his head perched on one hand, the other hand tracing the contours of her face, her lips, her neck, her breasts. He leaned down to capture her mouth on a kiss, then said

"You know, muggles call a woman a witch if her beauty can make a man forget himself and wish to spend his days doing nothing but worshipping her body. I guess by all possible definitions you are a witch."

She smiled. She wanted to stay there with him, forget about the rest of the world. She had never felt lust so overwhelming. It felt like it will be physically painful when they had to go their separate ways. Before she could think about that moment he planted a kiss on each of her breasts and then lay his head on them, wrapping his arms around her smaller frame. She looked down and thought this was the most erotic moment of her short life. His messy dark hair, his muscular arms, his sculpted back, all of it made Harry Potter the most sensual creature she had ever seen. She ran her fingers through his hair, making him purr. He held her a bit tighter, letting the scent of her skin fill up his brain and erase all thought.

But then, at this moment of openness and vulnerability, her feelings burst out like a broken dam. It started with sharp breaths, then she tried to hold her breathing until she couldn't stop the deep sobs that broke through. She covered her eyes with her hand, but the tears kept rolling down her face. Harry was already by her side, holding her in a cocoon of his arms, so she buried her face in his chest, mortified. He waited patiently until her breathing slowed down.

"What is it? Tell me, please. Let me be here for you."

She took a few deep breaths, trying to put into words the typhoon that was her mind.

"I'm sorry, this is so embarrassing." She looked into his eyes and reached to cup his cheek with her hand "I could have gotten you killed. I have never felt anything like this, never met anyone like you, and I could have lost you to my own stupidity"

He kissed her softly to stop her panicked diatribe.

"Pansy, you are not that powerful. You do not control destiny. You said one thing that popped out of your mouth in a moment of panic when a dark wizard was literally invading your mind. And you have paid dearly for it. You left your country, your mother, your school, all because people were pointing fingers at you for that one sentence. Baby, I think you had enough. And guess what? after the war, I had been feeling lonely and aimless. I joined the Aurors because I'm good at it. But every night I was going home to an empty house and I had to control myself because I was having a big glass of firewhiskey every night to sleep. If I kept that up I was going to end up a lonely drunk. So for weeks now I've faced insomnia and loneliness with nothing to hold on to. But guess what. Tomorrow I will go back to the Ministry and count the days until next weekend. I will write to you and hope that you share your thoughts with me. It makes me feel alive. You make me feel alive."

She reached to kiss him. He was so noble that she silently promised herself to take care of him. Then he smiled and said

"You know, the head boy and head girl are friendly with me. maybe I can convince you to stay with me tonight and sneak you back in the castle in the morning?"

She laughed "And how do you plan to sneak me back in?"

He wiggled his eyebrows "Hogwarts is full of secrets. And I know many of them."


	10. Chapter 10

On Monday morning a rushed and ruffled Pansy ran into the great hall to try and grab some breakfast. Harry had sneaked her back to the castle using a secret passage and took her all the way to the dungeons. She was perplexed but had no time to ask him how did he know where the Slytherin house was. He stole one last passionate kiss and ran out of there. She went inside, running past a group of dumbfounded first-years to get to her room and change quickly into her uniform; then attempted a hasty charm to put her face and hair together and tried to start her day, but her head was in the clouds. When she sat at the Gryffindor table she smiled at her friends and started buttering a slice of toast, trying to look nonchalant. The others looked at her and tried to hold back giggles and snorts until finally the dam broke and they all laughed out loud. Pansy blushed crimson

"What?" she tried to sound angry but it was more like a puppy bark

Ginny looked at the staff table, then chose to lean across the table so McGonagall wouldn't hear her

"You might as well wear a sign that says I got fucked into the mattress by an Auror and all I got was this lame ponytail"

Pansy brought her hands to her head, mortified, but Hermione cast one of the beauty charms the Slytherin girl liked so much and her lopsided ponytail straightened up. Pansy thanked her and tried to keep her head high, but the others were not letting her be

"Chosen by the Chosen One"

"Slythered-in by the Boy Who Lived"

"I got Pottered and it felt so good"

Before she could come up with a retort an owl flew in and dropped a small pouch in her hands. The group all stared at her, expectantly. When she opened it there was a galleon inside. Pansy looked confused but Ginny and Hermione squealed excitedly. She looked at them, dumbfounded. Neville explained

"It has a Protean Charm on it. Take a look."

She looked at the golden coin. Instead of the usual Gringotts symbols, it read

"Think of me"

Then it warmed up and the letters change

"I'll think of you."

"Wow," said Draco, "I take it back. Potter is the one that got Pansyed. Badly."

Meanwhile, at the Auror headquarters of the Ministry in London, Harry was participating in a training exercise that was like a very dangerous version of dodgeball. The game was heated and hexes were flying from everywhere. Harry was always superb at this game, but today he got hit right in the chest by a bludger charm that was cast by his friend Ron Weasley, who was playing on the other team. He felt on the floor, gasping for air, two broken ribs. Ron ran towards him and before he needed to be told to he put a weightless charm on his friend and guided him to the infirmary. Everyone at the pitch looked surprised. Harry Potter would have never fallen for that.

After Harry was bandaged and given a small dose of Skele-grow potion to repair the ribs, he was leaning in the infirmary cot, taking deep breaths.

Ron sat next to him, concerned

"What was that, mate? You would have never fallen for that. Are you ok? You haven't been drinking, have you?"

Harry smiled

"No, I had a couple of drinks on Friday in Hogsmeade, but I was not alone, it was a date."

Ron perked up. He had gotten back together with Lavender Brown, which fit him well these days, and was a bit worried about his friend being alone.

"Really? And does that date have something to do with the fact that you got distracted enough to break two ribs?"

Harry smirked

"Maybe. It was a fucking great weekend"

Ron cocked his head like a confused dog

"Wait a minute. I thought you were going to Hogsmeade to meet with Ginny, Neville, Hermione, and your new best friend the Ferret," Ron said with mock in his voice.

Harry sat up a bit on the cot.

"Well, there is a new girl in that group. And she was very cute. And really fucking hot. Like, blow my mind hot."

Ron opened his eyes like saucers

"Who?"

Harry smirked

"Pansy. Pansy Parkinson."

Ron looked flabbergasted

"Pug face Parkinson? Seriously?"

Harry punched his arm very hard.

"She's not the nasty pug face girl anymore. She's a grown woman and she is looking stunning. Like a cover girl for Witch Weekly. And she was so sweet and sexy. She apologized sincerely and I just wanted to ravish her right there at the pub."

Ron could only blink. First the Ferret and now pug face Parkinson. Had those two imperioused his friends? He kept that thought to himself. He cleared his throat and said

"Well, give me the details"

Harry spent the rest of his recovery time at the infirmary giving Ron a play-by-play of his weekend. He was pumped up like a boy on Christmas morning. Strange as it sounded to Ron, Pansy Parkinson had his friend feeling thrilled. Harry looked happy. So the redhead decided to let it be. Harry was still talking about his new crush when he felt warmth in his pocket and pulled out the galleon

"I wish I was in your arms"

Harry closed his eyes and thought of the message to respond

"I miss your lips"

Ron shook his head and chuckled.

"Mate, you got it bad. I'm happy for you."

That night a group of Hogwarts friends was finishing their homework at the library. Pansy was starting to pack her schoolbag when she felt the warm galleon in her pocket. She blushed a bit and pulled it out.

"Hi beautiful"

She concentrated on the response she wanted to send and rubbed the coin

"Hello, handsome"

"What are you doing?"

"Finishing up at the library"

"Go to your room"

"Why?"

"I'm feeling naughty"

Pansy blushed darker and felt the heat pooling between her legs. She lifted her gaze and four pairs of eyes were staring at her, eyebrows lifted, smirks mocking her. She decided to not feed their behavior, so she lifted her nose, packed her bag and said

"I'll see you all at breakfast. Have a good night."

Then she walked away. Hermione watched her go, and since they were still at the library she had to muffle her laughter by leaning her head into her arms on the desk. The others stifled their laugh too. Hermione said it out loud

"They are having Protean sex"

Pansy ran until she got to the Slytherin dungeons. She got into her room, took off her uniform and got into the bed. She closed the curtains around her fourposter bed and put a silencing charm on it. Then she took off all of her undergarments and got under the covers. She realized that she had never dared to lay naked in her dorm bed. She didn't have a roommate right now but it still felt forbidden. And very, very exciting. She held the charmed galleon in her hand and thought the message she wanted to send

"Where are you?"

The galleon warmed up and answered

"In my bed. You?"

"In my bed. Naked"

"Naughty girl. I'm so hard"

"Stroke yourself"

"I am. Touch your nipples"

"They're hardened"

"Lick them"

"Made me hornier"

"Are you wet?"

"Very. Soaked"

"Fucking delicious. Taste it"

"Fingering. So good"

"Yes. Think of my cock"

"I want you so bad"

"Gonna fuck you so hard"

"Fingering faster"

"Gonna pound you until you scream"

"I'm coming"

"Fuck. Me too"


	11. Chapter 11

On Valentine's day weekend, all the couples headed to Hogsmeade to hold little private celebrations. Ginny and Neville jumped off the carriage and disappeared quickly, leaving Draco, Hermione, and Pansy to roll their eyes. Pansy didn't jump but she was obviously nervous. Harry had told her to be at Hogsmeade by noon but did not tell her anything else. She didn't want to interrupt the other couple's romantic time, so she was about to offer to stay at the carriage stop when a stag Patronus came looking for her and said in Harry's voice

"Follow me"

She smiled excitedly and gave the other two a shrug and a wave before following the silver stag. Draco and Hermione chuckled and holding hands started to walk towards a nice new restaurant where Draco had made lunch reservations for them. They had a nice, long lunch, and afterward went for a walk through the picturesque town.

When it got a bit too chilly they headed towards Madam Poodifoot's Tea Shop for tea and desserts. The place was decorated in an over the top Valentine's theme, and it looked like all the couples in Hogwarts were there. This place must have an extension charm on it though because you can always find one more little table to seat cozily with your beloved.

When Draco was pulling Hermione's seat he lifted his gaze and saw the blonde Slytherin first year boy sitting with the brunette Gryffindor girl. A couple of steaming mugs of hot chocolate had just floated in front of them and the boy was now using a pair of silver tongs to put marshmallows in her cup. A couple of tables from them two women, a blonde and a brunette were having tea, chatting politely and stealing glances at the kids. Holy shite. The boy needed to ask special permission to go to Hogsmeade. He had to ask for parental permission to take his little friend on a date and now the mothers were chaperoning them. That kid had guts. He felt proud to have facilitated that attitude. He turned to look at his own Gryffindor princess and kissed her forehead before sitting himself. When she asked him why he was smiling he pointed to the kids and told her the story of the cauldron cake incident and how the whole thing had a happy ending. She laughed softly and then said

"Wow. Can you imagine being a first-year girl and being able to tell your friends that a cute boy took you for a date at Madam Poodifoot's? She's going to be the most popular girl of her year."

He smiled and pulled her close to him. They spent a good part of the afternoon there, sharing sweets and kisses and talking about anything and everything. They were having a wonderful time, but then Draco suddenly sat a bit rigid. Hermione looked towards the door and saw an older witch, obviously a pureblood, looking around the tables like she was looking for someone.

"That's Mrs. Parkinson, Pansy's mother" he whispered to Hermione, but he didn't have time for more, the witch saw them and made a beeline for them. Draco and Hermione stood up to greet her and he offered his hand palm up, took the older lady's one and kissed it.

"Mrs. Parkinson, how good to see you, to what…"

The older witch started to talk very fast over him, making exaggerated hand gestures

"Draco dear, how lovely to see you," then she turned to Hermione, "and of course the lovely Miss Granger. You know, I have heard so many great things about you. I have visited with Cissy and Andromeda at the Manor and Cissy is over-the-moon with you two, and of course I have also heard a lot of praise from dear old Kingsley Shacklebolt when he casually 'drops by' to 'supervise' the visits" –she made air quotes- "because you know, he has been in love with Andromeda forever so I'm sure he is thrilled to have an excuse to come wherever dear Andromeda is, like we don't know that he is just waiting for her mourning period to be over so he can start courting her, but of course that is private business between them but anyways dear Kingsley says he is impatiently waiting for you, dear girl, to finish at Hogwarts so he can bring you to the Ministry, he says you are absolutely brilliant…"

Hermione could only blink and smile while the woman kept going on an on

"Anyway dears, as you can imagine I am looking for my Pansy. I know she is hiding something from me" –she looked around and whispered loudly- "she is hiding someone from me, I am sure. Her letters are too vague and she is sneaking around, so I wonder, is she seeing a wizard that is not pureblood and she doesn't want to tell me? Because if that's it, well after seeing how happy Cissy is with you two I imagine I could be too, but of course there is only one Hermione Granger so whomever my daughter is seeing couldn't be more famous or prestigious, but anyways, is not like she can hide for ever right? What if this man is just taking advantage of her?"

Draco and Hermione didn't have time to respond to that. They heard a squealing sound coming from the entrance.

"Harry put me down!"

"Not until you agree to spend the Easter Holiday in Rome with me."

Harry had just walked through the door, carrying Pansy bridal style, and she was looking giddy and flustered. She was mockingly fighting him to put her down and he would only hold her tighter and bury his face on her hair and neck. They have probably been doing that while walking down the street but now that they entered the shop all eyes were on them. Pansy looked around and froze

"Harry…is mom"

"You mean Rome?"

"I mean mom. My mother is looking at us"

Harry froze for a second but then put her down delicately, gave her a one over to make sure she looked put together enough and she did the same to him. They look into each other's eyes and then he nodded and let her guide him towards the older witch.

"Mother," she said kissing the witch on both cheeks, "this is a surprise, what brings you to Hogsmeade?"

"Actually I was looking for you dear, and being Valentine's weekend I assumed you could be here," she said looking over Pansy's shoulder to the young man behind her.

"Of course, Mother. May I introduce Mr…"

"Harry Potter," said the older witch, offering her hand, smiling widely, giddiness now wrote all over her face. Oh, Cissy's boy may have scooped Hermione Granger, but her daughter hit the Jackpot.

Harry took the hand and bow to place a respectful kiss on her knuckles.

"Mrs. Parkinson. It is an honor to finally meet you."

Meanwhile, Draco had extended the little table and conjured a few more chairs so they could all seat. He thought Pansy and Harry could use some support as it was hard to predict what Mrs. Parkinson could be thinking. Hopefully, Draco could provide a good buffer, being so much more used to deal with the quirks of pureblood mothers. Pansy was obviously very nervous but Harry looked like he was doing just fine. The young auror pulled a chair for the older lady and then for his girlfriend and then took a seat.

"So, Mr. Potter, tell me a bit about yourself. Of course, I have heard a lot, you being always on the papers. I think you have now joined the Aurors? Dear Kingsley is very happy to have you there. He mentioned that your performance is outstanding, you will probably become the youngest head of Magical Law Enforcement in British history."

Harry was astonished to hear this woman that he had never met talk about him like she knew him well. The good news was that so far she seemed to have a very good impression of him.

"That is correct, Mrs. Parkinson, I am currently still part of the training class, but I have been able to make progress faster than usual because of my previous experience in magical defense. So, Minister Shacklebolt has been quite insisting on me getting involved in the political part of the job. I will actually take my hereditary seat in the Wizengamot when the next session opens."

The old woman looked like she had won the lottery.

"So, does that mean you have some titles to claim, Mr. Potter?"

Pansy made an effort to not roll her eyes at her mother's snobbishness, but Harry was unfazed.

"Yes, mam. Besides the Potter inheritance, I have hereditary rights to the Lordship of House Peverell. Also, my godfather, Sirius Black had named me his sole heir, but I plan to return the title of Lord Black to Draco when he finishes up at Hogwarts. He is after all the rightful blood heir."

Pansy hoped that her mother could keep her composure enough to not physically drool. She had come to figure out if her daughter was dating some nameless tramp, and found out that she was actually involved with the most famous wizard in Britain, who was also rich and a Lord. All of those were things that Pansy could not care less about. She was head over heels in love with Harry, the real Harry, not the Boy Who Lived, or the Chosen One, or the Lord Peverell. She had never even stopped to think about his position in society. She was in love with the sweet, kind, sexy man that made her heart melt. But right now, she was grateful that he was sharing those details, that was a sure way to make her mother happy, and that will buy her a lot of room to breathe. Comprehension dawn on her that Harry knew this and was doing it on purpose. He had never even brought up anything about his inheritance or titles, or even his influence at the Ministry. He was doing this for her. To make her mother happy. She had to make an effort to not snog him senseless right where he sat.


End file.
